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Welcome my friends,

The title of today’s episode is, “IT’S YOUR CHOICE”

God often wakes me with a song in my heart. A couple of days
ago, the song that was my spiritual earworm was a song by the Hinsons. “Who is
on the Lord’s Side?  It was popular when
I was a teenager. The words got me to thinking about my post Friday.  We have to choose to pick up the gauntlet. We
have to choose sides.

There are a few places in the word of God where the children
of Israel had gone astray. Once they were dancing around a golden calf and
saying this is our god that brought us out of Egypt. We are at a pivotal moment
in our own history. God is asking, are you going to trust me or are you going
to look to the little gods of this world.

Other than the stories of Jesus, Elijah at Mt. Carmel is one
my favorites. Jezebel was ruling everything with her cunning ways. Israel for
the most part was following Baal. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to a
contest. If your God be god, then let him send down fire from heaven.  

1 Kgs 18:21-22   And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,
How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if
Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.  Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I
only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and
fifty men.

It is time we stood boldly like Elijah. He thought he was
the only one still standing for the Lord. But he was determined to stand even
if he had to stand alone. If you don’t know the story read I Kings Chapter 18
and 19. For time sake, I will not read the rest of the chapter, but the
prophets of Baal cried and cut themselves and did everything to get their fake
God to answer with fire. It did not happen. Then Elijah prayed a simple prayer
and God sent down fire and consumed the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal were
taken and destroyed.

Then we find Elijah hiding in a cave and God asks him why he
was in the cave. He was hiding from Jezebel who threatened to kill him for
getting rid of the prophets of Baal.  He
was feeling alone, like he was the only one standing for God. But God told him
he wasn’t the only one.

I kgs 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in
Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which
hath not kissed him.

God always has a remnant of people that stand strong. Elijah
felt like he was alone, yet there were seven thousand that had not bowed down.
There are many more of God’s people today than seven thousand that are standing
strong and keeping the faith.  They do
not buy the lies of the enemy. The evil we see on the news is only showing a
small group of people that are trying to make us think they are many and the
enemy is winning.  He is the forever
loser and will not prevail over God’s remnant.

Romans 11:2-5 God hath not cast away his people which
he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh
intercession to God against Israel saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy
prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my
life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself
seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so
then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace.

A side note I was curious if verse 2 the name Elias was
referring to Elijah on Mt. Carmel.  I
googled, Is Elias and Elijah the same person? Google says: Elijah was a
Hebrew prophet who ranks with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being
corrupted by the nature worship of Baal. Elijah’s name means “Yahweh is my God”
and is spelled Elias in some versions of the Bible.

I love that his name means “Yahweh, is my God.”  Does our reputation or how we are known agree
with that statement? Does our lives say, Jesus is my God?

The story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel was not the first time
God’s people were told that they needed to choose. I mentioned earlier the
children of Israel, while God was writing the tablets of his laws for Moses,
they were breaking every one of them in the camp below. Moses was angry with
the people of Israel. He threw down the tablets that God had written the ten
commandments and broke them into pieces.

Exodus 32:26 “Then Moses stood in the gate of the
camp, and said, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come unto me.’ And all the
sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.”

The people were asked to choose which side, good or evil.
All down through time each person has had a choice to make; a choice of good or
evil, The Lord or a man made little “g” god that doesn’t have power. Some even
choose to follow satan who has some power to manipulate, lie and convince
people he has power.  MY GOD is greater
than all of them combined. There is not even a comparison. Our God is so far
above the rest there should not even be a question.

JOSH 24 14-18

 

Joshua 24:14-16 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve
him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served
on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15 And if
it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will
serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side
of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for
me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 16 And the people answered and said,
God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;

Joshua 24:17-18 For the Lord our God, he it is that
brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all
the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed: 18
And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which
dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.

I want to remind you that you don’t have to be bowing down
to a golden calf or dancing naked in the grove or burning incense to a false
god. Anything that we put before God is an idol. It is so hard and so easy at
the same time to allow things to get in our way. It pays us to be ever vigilant
about our spiritual life and faith walk.

As we are quickly approaching what many consider end times,
it is now more important than ever to have the matter settled. These stories
are a constant reminder to choose good and not evil. Will we allow how things
appear to sway us?  Will we let fear
creep in and be our guide? Will we cave at the first sign of resistance to our
faith? No, we are going to boldly say, I will stand for the Lord if I have to
stand alone.

But we are never really alone. God stands with us, just as
He did with all the prophets of old. He will go before us and fight for us. We
just have to be willing to stand with him. Pray for God’s will in our lives and
never give up.

In history there was a brave man that led a resistance
against people that were oppressing his people. His name was William Wallace.
He had such resolve and determination to have freedom,  that as he was being killed by his enemy, he
screamed the word freedom. It sparked his people to go on and win their independence
from oppression.

We never know, when we are standing firm on the truth of
God’s word, who we will encourage to stand strong.  Freedom from our enemy is a fight worth
fighting. I ask, who do you choose today? Jesus or an idol? Right or wrong?
Freedom or bondage?

As for me? I will choose the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the
only one who died for me and redeemed me from bondage. Take time to think about
where you stand today. Then go out and inspire someone to stand strong for
Jesus.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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